CHEVAL hosted the first leg of the 2019 Equipet North East Region winter show jumping league on Saturday at Broadmeadow where new club chairperson Sue Byrne had a large team of volunteers in place to ensure the event ran smoothly from start to finish.

Each class was preceded by clear round jumping at a lower height over the Brian Duff-designed track and many riders made the most of the opportunity for a school. Those who recorded a clear round were presented with a rosette, but at the final in Killossery Lodge Stud in early March, these rounds will be timed for prizes.

Duff’s track contained a turnback to four which caught out a small number of competitors who instead jumped fence seven, which they should have gone around, and so had to eliminated by judge for the day, Christine Walsh.

The first two league classes on Sunday, those for Primary and Advanced Primary riders, had an optimum time for the second stage but, when that restriction was lifted, there was some very fast riding in the 22-runner Intermediate class. The winning time of 31.64 was set by one of the first to jump, Cheval’s own Sandra Hannigan on her bay mare, Yukon Rosie.

Registered with the Connemara Pony Breeders Society as Camus Ramble, the 15-year-old is by Tulira Robuck and was bred by Maura Reaney out of the Moy Hazy Cove mare Carna Grey. Yukon Rosie, who was reserve in the Eddie Fowler memorial breed championship at the 2012 Association of Irish Riding Clubs Festival, is well used to the dimensions of Broadmeadow having recorded numerous clear rounds there last autumn.

Second place on Sunday went to Mullaghmore’s Pamela Moffett riding another Connemara, the eight-year-old mare Golden Bready (by Templebready Fear Bui), while Cheval’s Susan Kennedy finished third on her 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Yore Diamond, by Mount Diamond Flag.

Kennedy is the breeder of the Connemara gelding Stanley, aka Lishmar Yorkie, the Wings Of Justice eight-year-old who, ridden by Kennedy’s sister Roslyn Byrne (also a member of Cheval), finished second in the Advanced Primary class. Here, home in 50.14, and so nearest the optimum time of 53 seconds, was Castle Hill secretary Olivia Nolan and her 11-year-old bay mare, Bridgemount Eskert Lilly.

WIN FOR KERR

Members of the Border Counties club, which hosts round three of the leg on Sunday, February 10th, are always prepared to travel and their squad at Broadmeadow was represented in this class by Charlene Little who finished third on the 11-year-old piebald mare My Vintage Rose.

Little’s clubmate Aaron Evans slotted into second in the Advanced Intermediate class when stopping the clock on 35.25 with his 12-year-old brown gelding Killmarley Sunny Jim. The winner, in a time of 34.75, was Tara Hill’s Rachel Muldoon and her 10-year-old bay mare Ballymotey Carla Vision who is by the Irish Draught stallion Classic Vision out of the thoroughbred mare Lady Salma (by Darnay).

Cheval got off to an excellent start when Claudine Kerr won the opening 12-runner Primary class on her longtime partner Miss Tequila who is now 21 years of age. Frances McLoughin of the Ard Lú club, claimed the runner-up spot on the 12-year-old skewbald mare Sadie.

There was only one male winner on the day, Brian Cassidy, who, unopposed, won the Open with his 11-year-old Ringwood Harley Carol mare Looks Easy with whom he also competes in Show Jumping Ireland amateur classes.

There was a great display of rosettes before the action started on Sunday and it was good to see Niamh Brannigan, manager of the Equipet store in nearby Ashbourne, on hand to present the day’s prizes. The Castle Leslie club is hosting tomorrow’s second leg of the league at Kernan’s Equestrian Centre in Crossmaglen.